News

The Walworth Jefferson Ice Age Trail Chapter is hosting a speaker from the DNR on March 19th as part of their monthly meeting.  The discussion will cover terrestrial invasive plants. This is a free presentation.

Updated 3/18/24 @ 11:15 p.m. – Deleted Common Council At-large Candidate responses, as this information is now available to all residents through the link.

The League of Women Voters Whitewater Area published its local online Voter Guide on March 10 on the VOTE411.org platform. The League sent a questionnaire to a total of 119 local candidates running in 45 contested races in several villages, towns and cities in Walworth and Jefferson counties. Questions were provided in English and Spanish and candidates were encouraged to reply in both languages. Communities with contested races included in the Voter Guide are: in JEFFERSON CO. cities of Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Waterloo, Watertown, Town of Ixonia, Villages of Johnson Creek and Palmyra; and, in WALWORTH CO. cities of Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Whitewater, Towns of Richmond and East Troy, and Villages of Fontana, Mukwonago and Sharon. Ten local municipal and school board referendums will also appear in the Voter Guide.

The League’s Voter Guide on VOTE411.org is a source of nonpartisan candidate information where voters can go to read candidates’ responses to the League’s questionnaires. By visiting the site (click on “Find What’s On Your Ballot”), you will be able to compare their answers, which are posted verbatim. The League encourages voters to start their candidate research before they cast their ballot so they are informed voters on Election Day.

To learn more about what’s on the Spring Election ballot on April 2, view information available on LWVWI’s website.

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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook!

Photos courtesy of Doug Anderson

Whitewater Fire and EMS, in conjunction with the City of Whitewater Parks and Public Works Departments, conducted a controlled burn inside the Effigy Mounds Preserve on Wednesday, March 13.

Fire & EMS indicated that this training opportunity was a dual-purpose event: “Conducting live fire exercises in a controlled environment gives our firefighters the experience needed to perform their job functions safely and efficiently when called to an emergency. All of the tools, strategies, and tactics used in a prescribed fire can be applied to suppression activities when we are called to duty in an emergency. Moreover, the application of prescribed fire will help control invasive plant species and reduce timber litter. Not only does this make the park a pleasant spot for everyone to enjoy; it also reduces the amount of dead vegetation/fuel load to help reduce the chance of a significant fire occurring on the property.”

It was reported that the burn was conducted around all but three of the effigy mounds. Burning at those mounds was deemed to represent a potential risk to residences in relatively close proximity.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.

The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club will be holding a sit-down, dine-in Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 16 from 6:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (or until the pancakes run out).  All are invited to bring their appetites to the Old Armory, 146 W. North Street, in downtown Whitewater.  No tickets will be sold, and people are asked to consider a donation of at least $7.  Additional donations are welcome to help support the children that Kiwanis serves.

Corey Davis preparing the Jones Dairy Farm sausage at a prior breakfast

Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club President Patrick Taylor said, “We are so excited to see people in person and enjoy camaraderie and friendship as we feast on the delicious Kiwanis pancakes and Jones sausage.  The Old Armory has been our home-base for years, and we are continuing that tradition.” 

Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world, all with 100% of funds raised going directly to youth projects and zero to administrative costs. Over five years the club raised funds to make possible the recent installation of the city’s first piece of inclusive playground equipment, a We-Go-Round, in Starin Park.  Annual donations are also made to provide shoes and winter clothes for students, as well as support for organizations such as the Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, The Community Space, and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.

If you have an interest in helping youth in Whitewater, you can check out Whitewater Kiwanis on Facebook and join our Club by contacting Patrick Taylor at Petaylor.law@gmail.com.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving  the world one child and one community at a time.

Introducing The Bassett House Spring Concert Series!

The Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs (WFWC) is pleased to announce the inauguration of the Bassett House Spring Concert Series. The concerts will be held at the Bassett House, 708 W. Main Street in Whitewater, on Sunday, April 7, 2024, and Sunday, May 26, 2024. This year, the series will consist of vocal performances by University of Wisconsin-Whitewater faculty and students. The first concert will feature the vocal studio of faculty member Rachel Wood. The second concert will be a performance by faculty members Robert Gehrenbeck and Sarah Gehrenbeck. Tickets include not only delightful musical performances, enjoyed in the charming ambiance of one of Whitewater’s loveliest old homes, but complimentary wine and refreshments. Come join us as we initiate an enchanting new spring tradition.

Ticket prices for adults are $30 per concert or $50 for the full series. Student tickets (high school and college) are $15 per concert. Child tickets (13 years or younger) are $10 per concert. Make checks out to the WFWC, and mail them to Linda Robinson at 957 W. Highland Street/Whitewater, WI 53190. Alternatively, you may pay via Venmo: Whitewater Federation. In either case, please indicate the chosen concerts and the number of adults, students, or children attending. Space is limited, so buy your tickets soon.

All proceeds will go to help preserve the Bassett House, one of Whitewater’s oldest historic homes. The WFWC is currently engaged in a full, multi-stage, and necessary restoration of the Bassett House, and all proceeds will be used for this restoration. This is a wonderful opportunity to support this beautiful Whitewater landmark!

Diane Jaroch assumed the directorship of the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library on an interim basis November 26, 2023, upon the resignation of long-time director Stacey Lunsford, who took a position in Minnesota. The Library Board subsequently appointed her to the position on a permanent basis effective January 29, 2024.

Diane provided the Banner with the following biography and thoughts.

“I began my career working in libraries while attending Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL, where I worked for four years in the Slide Library within the Art History Department. My undergraduate degree was in Art History, so that was the perfect fit for me. After graduation, I accepted a position at Columbia College in Chicago, where I worked in the Audiovisual Department of the library for seven years, cataloging art and photography slides. I made the transition to public libraries in 1990 and received my MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1995. Before coming to the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library, I worked at the Kenosha Public Library, Deerfield Public Library, Monona Public Library, and then at the Watertown Public Library, where I held the position of Library Director for two years.

Before accepting the position of library director, I was the assistant library director here at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library for the past thirteen and a half years. I am very excited to be the new director at a time when our library is beginning an expansion and renovation project. The response to our capital campaign by the community was overwhelming. It’s wonderful to know that the library is such a valued resource in the Whitewater community. The new library will offer more space and features where people can connect, read, learn, create and feel welcome. There will be 4,400 square feet of additional space and the current space will be redesigned to be more welcoming and accommodating. Construction is expected to begin in July of 2024, with an anticipated completion date of October 2025.”

Virginia Coburn points out part of her collection of Fiesta Ware at last year’s Whitewater
Collects.

The Tenth Annual Whitewater Collections will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center, located at 341 S. Fremont Street in Whitewater (Whitewater Street, behind the arch). This event is free and open to the public.

In years past, collections displayed included temperance memorabilia and whiskey nippers, barbershop memorabilia, sock monkeys, vintage Planters Peanuts memorabilia, antique perfume bottles, political memorabilia, neckties, vintage model airplane kits and models, and antique Copper Lustre. This year’s collections promise to be equally eclectic and intriguing!

Visitors can also receive free verbal professional evaluations of value (limit: two items) from noted auctioneer, Carol Miller. Ms. Miller is the owner of Bailey’s Honor Auction and Estate Services, LLC. and conducts the biennial fundraising auction for the Friends of the Wisconsin State Historical Society.

This event is sponsored by the Whitewater Historical Society. Everyone is invited to come enjoy their neighbors’ fascinating collections and learn what their treasures are worth.

For more information, please contact Jan Goder at jgoder1976@gmail.com or (262) 949-0644.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Here is the third view of a band in a mid-20th century parade coming down Main Street. This view shows the west end of the downtown with Hackett’s Grocery on the left side. But, note the three large houses at the top left of the photo. They would all be demolished soon for the First Citizens State Bank building and the gas station that shared the block. Given the vintage of the cars in the photo, I wonder if this was a World War II “victory” parade. Does anyone know?

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

3729P, Whitewater Historical Society

The Universities of Wisconsin has unveiled a new one-stop, easily searchable website that provides access to and information about every fully online degree program being offered at the constellation of 13 public universities. 

Wisconsin Online – with the URL online.wisconsin.edu – will list the more than 200 fully online programs offered by the 13 universities, including 10 associate, 99 bachelor’s and 95 master’s degree programs.

Dozens of academic program degrees are showcased through Wisconsin Online, from applied biotechnology to business administration to transportation and logistics management to writing and applied arts.

“This new website makes it easier than ever for Wisconsinites to find an online degree program suitable to their needs,” said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. “It’s a one-stop-shop that showcases the excellent online education our universities offer, and we anticipate that online.wisconsin.edu will especially appeal to adult learners and traditional-aged students who simply prefer to learn online.”

The online programs featured on the website include those that are semester-based, accelerated semester-based, collaborative multi-campus semester-based, and competency based. Semester-based online programs are similar to traditionally delivered in-person programs with courses delivered over a 15-week semester. The competency-based programs, called the UW Flexible Option or Flex, is a distinct pedagogical approach to teaching and learning that focuses exclusively, and explicitly, on the learner’s ability to demonstrate mastery over defined competencies. While fully asynchronous like the semester-based online programs, the Flex competency-based programs are self-paced.

Students can search for programs by program level, area of interest, or campus. There’s also information about what it means to be an online student as well as specific information for international students, military members, transfer students, and prospective graduate and undergraduate students.

Wisconsin Online enhances the promotion of UW online programs marketed on each UW university’s website by collecting all fully online programs into one easily searchable website. Students wanting to learn more about a particular program can click through to the university’s online program webpage or request more information from the university.

“Online.wisconsin.edu also will allow us to market our programs across the U.S. and internationally,” Rothman said. “The Universities of Wisconsin have a great reputation around the nation and the globe, and we want to make our programs as accessible as possible.”

Wisconsin Online was launched on February 1, and, in the future, the website will point prospective students to online certificates, microcredentials, and other “course-to-career” education offerings that serve Wisconsin’s workforce needs. 

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The Universities of Wisconsin serve more than 162,500 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the universities are Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state Universities of Wisconsin graduates stay in the state five years after earning a degree. The universities provide a 23:1 return on state investment. The Universities of Wisconsin also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.

Gustav Holst’s The Planets is a monument of the early twentieth century, and our March concert includes two orchestras performing at the same time! The LGSO joins forces with the incredibly gifted musicians of the University of Whitewater Symphony Orchestra, and this special collaboration will take place at Young Auditorium in what will be a not-to-be missed event for the entire region. In addition, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams, will feature the string sections of both orchestras.

Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. – Young Auditorium, 930 W. Main Street, Whitewater
Tickets: Priority reserved $50; General admission $20; High school and university students are free
Tickets may be purchased online here. There is a $2 surcharge for tickets purchased at the door.